Uncle Jim
by Marymel
Summary: Brass talks to Eli while his mother's in custody.


**I don't own CSI.**

**This is my 10****th**** story inspired by "Fallen Angels!" I don't know if it's a record, but I thought this would make a good story. I've always loved the friendship between Brass and Warrick, and I was kind of disappointed there wasn't any interaction between Brass and Eli in the episode. So I thought I'd write a story where Brass meets Warrick's son and tells him about his dad. **

**And to all who follow my Jim Brass fanfics, don't worry...I'm planning to write a story or two about the season finale soon! And yes, more Jackson fics are on the way as well :)**

**And...enough rambling! Please read and review.**

As he left the interrogation with Tina Brewster, Jim Brass felt a mix of anger and sadness. He couldn't believe that Tina - the ex-wife of his colleague and friend Warrick Brown, and mother of his son, Eli - had let herself get so far down. He knew that if Warrick could see his ex-wife and son living in virtual squalor, he'd be heartbroken. Jim knew Warrick had worked so hard to prove himself a good CSI and he'd been looking forward to starting a family of his own. Knowing that Tina had let herself and Eli get so far away from the only family Warrick had left was heartbreaking enough, but seeing how degraded Tina had let herself become shook Jim to his core.

As he approached the lobby, he saw Nick Stokes talking to Eli. Jim could see so much of Warrick in the boy it broke his heart.

Nick smiled softly as he looked up and saw Jim approach. He knew that, like Warrick, the family at the lab was the only family had. Looking at the son of his best friend, Nick smiled. "Eli, I want you to meet someone. This is Jim, and he was another good friend of your dad's."

Eli smiled softly at Jim. "You knew my dad?"

A smile came to Jim's face. "Yeah. He was one of the best men I've ever known."

Eli smiled a bit wider. "Uncle Nick says he was like me."

With a soft laugh, Jim sat next to the boy who looked so much like his father. "He was. He was one of the smartest guys I've ever worked with. He loved his job, but he loved his friends even more."

"Yeah," Nick agreed. "Your dad was my best friend."

Eli smiled. "Did he like to draw?"

Jim thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. He had to sometimes draw what happened at different scenes, so I guess he liked to draw." Eli smiled at Jim, and the detective saw how much the boy really looked like his father. "You know something, Eli? Do you like music?"

"Yeah."

"Well, your dad knew so much about music. One time, when a friend of mine was at a scene with him, he even played the piano."

"Cool," Eli said. He'd already grown to like Nick and Sara, and was beginning to like Jim as much. "Did my dad like to read?"

"Yeah," Jim said. "He was one of the smartest, best CSIs I have ever known." Jim felt tears prickle his eyes as he looked at the smiling boy beside him.

Eli sighed softly and looked down. "I wish I could have known my dad. My mom says I look like him."

"You do," Nick said. "And I know he'd be very proud of you."

"Absolutely," Jim agreed. "And if he could see how much you look like him..." Jim shook his head sadly as he thought about his friend.

Eli looked up at Jim. "Is my mommy going to go to jail?"

Jim sighed heavily. "No...but she's going to have to clean herself up. And you'll have to stay with another family for a little while..."

"But if your mom can get help and clean herself up, you should be back with her before you know it," Nick added.

Eli looked down. "I know she loves me."

Jim put a tentative arm around Eli. "She does...but she needs to get help to be a better mom for you."

Eli smiled softly at Jim. "Can I still talk to you and Uncle Nick about my dad?"

"Yes!" Nick said.

"You can talk to us about anything you want," Jim said. Nick nodded in agreement. Jim squeezed Eli's shoulder. "Your dad was a good man and a good friend. Whenever I needed help with my family, he was there. When I needed to talk or had a bad case, your dad was there."

Eli and Nick both smiled softly - Nick thinking about the great friend he lost and missed so much, Eli thinking about the father he never knew.

"My dad was pretty cool, huh?" Eli asked.

Nick and Jim both chuckled softly. "He was," Nick said.

Jim couldn't help but smile at the sight of Nick and Eli, and he wished Warrick had lived to see the two of them together.

"You know what, Eli?" Jim asked. Eli shook his head. "I'm going to give you my number," Jim said as he took his card out of his jacket pocket. "And if you need anything - I don't care if it's just to talk in the middle of the night - you can call me. Or you can call your Uncle Nick or Aunt Sara or Uncle Greg."

Eli smiled slightly. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Jim said with certainty. "You can call your Uncle Jim anytime."

Eli smiled. "Thank you!"

Just before he left to go to his foster family, Eli and his mother Tina had a chance to say goodbye. Nick and Sara watched as mother and son hugged and cried.

"Mommy, you need to get better," Eli said.

"I know, and I will," Tina said with certainty. "I promise you...and your daddy."

Eli smiled. "I like daddy's family here."

Tina smiled thoughtfully as Nick, Sara, Greg and Jim watched the interaction. "That's good. I know they'd love to see you again."

"Yeah!" Eli said as he looked at his father's dearest friends.

Jim watched as Eli said goodbye to Tina and she made plans with Family Services to get counseling. Eli smiled as he saw Jim watching the family. He waved to the detective. Jim smiled and waved, thinking of Warrick and how he would have loved to have seen his son grow up with him and his extended family at the lab. Knowing that the lab was the closest family he'd ever known, Jim hoped Tina really would change for the better.

And he hoped Eli would be a big part of Jim's family.

**The End.**


End file.
